Undressing Secrets
by Rakusa
Summary: With the ability to transform lost, Usagi must figure out another way to face the powers trying to destroy the planet, and keep her senshi from killing the man she loves. WILL UPDATE SOON!
1. Chapter 1

Undressing Secrets

Hell, I don't know, 2000 perhaps? Maybe earlier? I should have started dates long before that. Computer version: Again, can't find first chapter typed up, or anything else I might have bothered with.

Computer version X-infinitate?

6 March 2010

SUM: With the ability to transform lost, Usagi must figure out another way to face the powers trying to destroy the planet, and keep her senshi from killing the man she loves.

* * *

AN: I have always meant to get this up and running and share it all with you, but it's been a project close to my heart for over ten years, not to say however that I've actually bothered to write during that time, I just started it then, and it was my favorite.

Which leads me onto my next epiphany: I love all of my stories, I really do, well... maybe not all of them, but it makes it hard for me to finish anything, because I want to work on everything all at once, and none at all at the same time. The hardest part is that when I'm done with a story, I literally forget it, I forget I wrote it and when I go back and look at my old work, I vaguely remember it, where if I leave it open ended and not completed, it's sitting in the back corner of my brain, demanding to get out and get finished because I haven't figured out the ending yet, and so I can't forget the story. However, there have been occasions where I have forgotten the story and the story line, but that's because I didn't really love it.

Then there are stories I absolutely love, but I forget where I was going with it, because I had figured something out, just hadn't written it down or left myself clues. So, it remained unfinished and left behind. Ties that Bind was that way, and then I came up with a slightly new path for it, and it's been completed, at least on one of my disks, somewhere in cyber space, as long as it hasn't been accidentally deleted in this last fall when I was trying to squeeze all disk space I had with everything else on my computer, in case it crashed again... lol, anyways, so if any of the previous has occurred with this story, and I assure you, it either has, or will, and I will eventually get back to it, key examples: Ties that Bind, Lapse in Time and, if you'd believe it: Blond Adventures... hehe... Speaking of TTB: I have to tweak it a bit, find it again to do so, and then it will be up and finished for all of you. BA: I haven't written much more than what is posted, but I will work on that, it's one of my favorite shorts, well, at least as far as I go for shorts... and it is a 2 parter. LIT: I have so much more I want to explore with it, I just haven't found time or prerogative to work on it, but seeing as how it had been 10 years since I started it, editted it, and reposted all in the same time frame, I'm doing pretty good, right? :}

AN2: This story had never meant to be a sequel or have a prequel, it was supposed to be a stand alone, and then circumstances got the better of me, and things got tied together since I liked both stories and I saw a perfect fit leading into this one, where before it had gaps in it that the audience wouldn't have understood without some type of background, at least, not with showing them it, in any case. I was intending to follow the Moon universe (anime-dub) fairly closely with just a what-if, and so I had written a lot of it, but it was my splintered anime viewing, as I had only the dic tapes, and not all episodes ever aired, I don't even have them, they were rented at the time, and so this may or may not follow it exactly or at all in some cases and for that I apologize. It may also not even be exactly comprehensive with Upon a Flash, as details may be tweaked or different, ie Venus & possibly Jupiter, I forget at this moment... the way I had written Upon a Flash, it made more sense to do it the way I had, the way this story goes, it doesn't make as much sense to involve them yet.

I feel as if it is important to warn you, so I don't get a lot of criticism on this particular piece, that said however, Mamoru and Usagi had gotten close behind the senshi's backs, Mamoru does know about Moon/Usa and Moon can't transform any longer after a particular incident with Mamo... Jadeite is dead. Those I can say without a doubt are carry-overs from the UF, which I had added to finish it and tie into this one.

I have added the first chapter, it was never intended to start this way, and in my head it had sounded a lot better and flowed so much more between stories, but again, I had forgotten to write it down when it had been created and so I tried to draw from memory how I meant to go about doing this. I hope it is ok, I think it is a better lead in (maybe) and is partially important. (I say this, because I have yet to actually write it, as I am writing these ridiculously long ANS... :) ) So, without further ado, I will start typing up this story! Oh, and of this moment, I have not even completed it, in paper form, which luckily for you, means I might get around to finishing it on the computer and finish posting once that happens, otherwise, I might not have bothered. :P

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

Alone in a cool bed, with a sheet and blankets piled high on top of the man sleeping in it, it still felt obnoxiously cold. He wrapped himself up in the blankets and buried deep, because he was a guy, and he did not snuggle into the blankets, hoping his own body heat would penetrate through the cold that seemed forever wrapped around him. Never in his life, had he felt so frozen, not even on the long lonely nights he'd had as a child, without any warm memories to cling to of his own. Not until he began making his own. First it was an odd child, weak, and didn't want to be noticed by the adults and upset that he had to leave, that the city did not contain the necessity he needed to sustain his body, then with a strange young girl who gave him a rose. The memories were barren, but there after that, until he met another young boy, who became a very dear friend, who still was today. He was followed shortly after by another young girl, it wasn't for another few years that they'd met, but then again, they had known each other almost all of their lives.

He was sleeping, but he felt uncomfortable, like something was wrong, and he felt like something was completely off. That feeling shifted however to feeling completely at ease and that nothing in the world was wrong. He heard, even in his sleep the whisp of the metal of the door slide against the frame, separating the room from his balcony. He didn't rouse though, because he knew who it was, without even opening his eyes. There was a warm breeze that accompanied the intruder and he already felt warmer.

Mamoru shifted as the presence came closer, to allow more space in the bed, he heard a soft sigh as a warm hand brushed his bangs back. "Usako." He whispered, and the body slid into the bed with him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and spoke into her ear, not yet waking up past a slight rousing, and easy to slip back into it, especially with her there. "While I'm glad you're here, why have you come?"

"I had a bad dream." She admitted, slipping her arms around his waist and burying her head into his chest.

Mamoru sighed and held her even closer. "I'm sorry." He ran a hand down her back and she held on tighter. If anything, they had gotten worse over the last few weeks, since they had found out each other's identities. They were coming less frequent, if it was easy to claim that they were coming in any type of monitored frequency in the first place. "How'd you manage to get here?"

He felt Usagi's shoulders shift, as if she was going to just brush it off, but it was her rules, that kept them from going public, and if she was going to come over, she needed some type of plan so as to not get caught. "Luna's out hunting, she won't be back until tomorrow."

"Oh." Mamoru took a deep breath, her smell settling into his bones and he'd slowly drifted back into deep slumber, he'd have to make sure to wake her before dawn rose and send her back to her house. He'd follow her, but she wouldn't know about it, until he could see her enter her house, and then slip back to his own.

Usagi waited until Mamoru had fallen back asleep and looked back up into his face to watch him sleep. She felt better just being in his arms, she didn't want to go back to sleep, one thing hadn't changed since they started coming stronger, was if she had already slept during the day, the nightmares would return when she slept again. She didn't tell him that they were stronger, she hadn't slept in his arms for a very long time, or so it seemed. Since her parents had gotten home, her senshi didn't take any excuses that she needed to be there for Shingo, and made her stay the night over at each of their places. Not that she minded so much, seeing them, it just felt so odd not to be sleeping with him every night.

She didn't know why she was the only one to be suffering these dreams, even the other senshi had remarked on it that she sometimes called out in her sleep and that the dreams seemed so horrible. Perhaps they were there to warn her. But eventually, she couldn't keep her lids open and with a smile still on her face, from the peaceful expression Mamoru had on, Usagi too slipped into dream land.

* * *

Mamoru prodded Usagi awake before the day began for most of Tokyo. She moaned in objection. "This is too familiar." She batted away his hands and he leaned down to kiss her awake.

"Come on, Sleepy head, you have to get up and go home. You can sleep more there."

"No." She turned and snuggled deeper into the bed. She hadn't had any night terrors and didn't want to break the first good night's sleep for several days. She hadn't seen Mamoru for almost as long and the youma had not been attacking, not since Jadeite's death. It was an odd period of peace and she wondered if they were done, if he was really dead. "Luna's gone all day, done research." She stretched and looked up at him with a smile. "Parents are gone, and it's a Saturday."

Mamoru looked around before sinking into the bed with her, leaning over her. "Is that so?" His eyes gleamed wickedly. "So I have you to myself all day?"

"Well..." She drawled. "At least until eight, the girls want me to come watch a move with them."

"So... all day." He repeated leaning his head down and captured her lips before pulling away. "Come on, I'll make you breakfast."

He was standing up, but the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, and a light weight was on top of him. He looked up into her face, surrounded by a mane of blond hair, and there was a mischievous look upon her face. Mamoru's own face turned amused, waiting for her to make her move. She leaned further down, and for the first time, he got a real look at what she was wearing and groaned mentally. She was wearing silky shorts and a ribbed tanktop that hugged her curves and when she leaned forward like that, he caught a glimpse of the top portion of her chest. He had to fist his hands at his sides to keep from putting them on her hips and helping her relieve some of his tension that she created. "I have something better in mind for a little while." She covered his lips with hers and his hands misbehaved and slipped under the bottom hem of her top and rested them there on the taunt warm skin.

It took them a while to part from their make-out session. "Usako." He groaned, she was not only tempting in her seemingly innocent looking clothing, but it was fall weather outside, and she was not dressed for even the warmest of days, or for public, for that matter. She'd been planning on not leaving his apartment until the sun set again. "You can't do this-"

"I'll go back to my place and change and meet you somewhere." She said, pulling back a little and sitting on his stomach, her hands still by his head. "I just wanted to wake up properly, didn't you?"

Mamoru chuckled and tumbled her sideways so he was leaning over her. "I think a repeat would wake me up better." His lips bypassed hers and found her neck instead. She moaned when he found a particularly tender spot near her ear.

He completely stilled, if he wasn't careful, things would get far too out of control and they'd go too far, for both of them. "Sorry Usako, let's get something to eat?" He pulled her up and she sat at the table while he made some pancakes.

It was probably better he pulled away, her heart rate had spiked with his administrations and she wasn't an idiot, she was well aware that he was reacting to their intimate position as much as she was. In a way she was glad he pulled away, it kept her from having to do it herself, but she vaguely wondered if it would be such an issue if they didn't control their hormones. She was sixteen after all, and he wasn't much older, at nineteen. The devious thought had barely entered her mind as she saw him, half dressed in light sweat pants. It showed off his tanned skin nicely.

Usagi swirled her spoon in the hot chocolate he put in front of her, his own coffee cooling across the table from her. She was lost in thought, and Mamoru noticed. "How bad was the dream last night? Did they repeat when you came over?"

"No, and it wasn't that bad." She pushed her hair over her shoulder, so it wouldn't fall into her food when he set it in front of her and then took his place across. He started in onto his food, waiting for her to tell him what was on her mind, she'd get there, eventually. "Tomorrow I promised to go to Shingo's thing, he's trying to impress Mika with a doll he made. He blackmailed me into agreeing you'd come with."

Mamoru paused. "The doll fair?" He asked with a wince and she nodded, waiting for the reasn behind his reaction. "Rei asked me to go last week, I turned her down. If I show up and she's there anyways-"

"Rei asked you?" Usagi frowned. "I haven't heard anything about it from any of the girls. It's not exactly optimal for a date, even Rei would know that."

"Calm down." Mamoru's hand came forward and rested on hers as she tried to take a bite to eat. "I told her no, I just haven't figured out a way to tell her that I'm off the market, permanently."

Usagi smiled, but her thoughts were still on the fact that she'd been left out on something, she'd ask the others today after the movie what their plan was for Sunday. She wasn't sure if Mamoru knew yet, or figured out who the other senshi were yet, or if he even cared to bother with that knowledge. It kind of annoyed Usagi that Rei would think to bring Mamoru to something potentially dangerous, and not knowing he could handle it himself. Rei didn't like dolls, Usagi had only asked because Shingo had wanted her to go, but now she was a little leary herself of going, especially with the latest development in her powers. If there had been no attacks recently, maybe they were preparing for a larger attack. She didn't share her nerves with Mamoru, he would just be concerned and feel like he had to attend.

"Hey, I'll go with you, I just worry about running into Rei." Mamoru squeezed the hand he still held. "I want to go with you and meet your brother. I was just looking out for you and warning you."

"Thank you, Mamo-chan." She leaned across the table and gave him a chaste kiss. After breakfast she disguised herself as another person and made her way across the city, back to her room and slipped in unnoticed, changed and then took the city streets back to see Mamoru and hang out with him, during the rest of the day, until she had to split off and go see her friends, ones that were keeping something from her.


	2. Chapter 2

Undressing Secrets

Hell, I don't know, 2000 perhaps? Maybe earlier? I should have started dates long before that. Computer version: Again, can't find first chapter typed up, or anything else I might have bothered with.

Computer version X-infinitate?

6 March 2010

SUM: With the ability to transform lost, Usagi must figure out another way to face the powers trying to destroy the planet, and keep her senshi from killing the man she loves.

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

**AN: **I have to admit straight up that this story will have a different tone than Upon A Flash, just because of a couple of things actually. 1. I am trying to combine both the ideas that had been brought up from UF, and 2. I had written this story a long time ago, so I am trying to be true to the original idea as well. 3. I also have a tendency to go overboard and 4. I know that this story won't be short. 5. Because of all of that, I don't have a clear end in sight, and 6. I kicked up the sexual frustration between Mamo and Usa from UF, because they're back in the real world, and they're young adults and lets be honest, it's Mamo and Usa AND I have a few well liked stories because they're well written and interesting, but fall flat from favorites because they aren't that true to life or the two, they completely neglect the passionate side, while I have a few stories I love because they're so well written in that side of things, but some of the scenarios are a little off... characters are IC and then definitely OOC in the same story, they don't even follow the characterization given to them by the author, which drives me nuts, lol, so I'll try not to do that. 7. and since they're no longer trapped in a house, it can no longer be just about them... I know, I'm sad too! lol

AN2: This isn't really important but, if anyone wants to know my all time favorite story, it'd have to be a toss up between Subject to Change 2 (Because I reread 1 and things need to be edited severely- I loved it, but names changed in the middle of it, characters changed and at times it was just a little sad that I had liked the original characterization and then it disappeared because the author decided that they were too weird... sigh, love you eightofswords! I like the characterization of Rini in this version (funny I say so, right? lol)), Shepard's Kiss, Alicia Blade's work don't have specific examples for you at the moment, For Want of Sleep by Lilac Summers and one that I can't remember the title, I think it was City Life?, anyways it was about Serena moving to NY from CA and was a swimmer (and almost drowned) and was met with a lot of resistance from the new school and Dairen and her fell in love, loved his grandpa :P and he had shaggy hair looking like a puppy in the rain, it was so lifelike and felt real in so many levels. It's been taken off the only site I only ever saw it on and that makes me very sad. But yeah, those stories are my inspiration, among many others, that I can't name or explain on this form, if you want to know more, look at my favs. :) I only hope I can live up to these works on some plane though I know that I will only be 1/100th of their genius! (And if anyone can tell me where I can find a copy of that story and House of Glass, also taken down... sigh, all my favs seem to suffer that fate!)

AN3: I'm a little scared to open my mailbox nowadays, but it's a good scare, honest! Hehe...

* * *

Luna was worried about the doll fair, so she went to Ami and Rei for help, thinking Usagi was going to flake out on her. She hadn't even needed to open her mouth to ask, they had just volunteered the information to her, and she was probably lucky, because she had no real reason to know that they were intending to go anyways, not without reveling her source, then again, she might have thought up some other way to bring it up.

So instead, Usagi played her hand wisely. She used the same excuse on the senshi and Luna, as the real reason that she had given to Mamoru to get him to come with her. She had to take Shingo, because he needed her assistance in a 'love' dispute.

Usagi and Mamoru were walking arm in arm to the doll fair, Shingo went ahead to see if he could find Mika. "I know this isn't something normal to be going to Mamo-chan, but, I just sensed a need to come here, something just isn't quite right with Mika." She'd run into the girl between leaving Mamoru and heading to the girls' meeting place and she'd said hi to the girl, but gotten a very angry response, and Usagi recognized the signs as overstressed and possibly more than that, possibly being manipulated by darker powers.

"Don't worry so much Usako, I know very well you like to do everything and anything new. Besides, it's for Shingo, and I think you're right about her." They entered slightly more observant to others around them, but still the loving couple they were.

Usagi's brother came back to them. "Usagi, I don't know about this, I mean I don't want to upset her."

"Nonsense, she'll love it. Now come on, let's go give your gift and apology to Mika." Usagi informed her little brother. Usagi looked back to Mamoru. "Excuse us for a moment, please."

To everybody it looked like he complied without hesitation or a care about it, and that's just what they were hoping for. "All right." He took his arm away from her waist and walked in a different direction. In fact though, he was worried about her and monitored her path with her brother, and they disappeared into a room that he couldn't see into. She hadn't wanted to tell the girls, because that would need explaining why she didn't want them to bust in on her love life like they were bound to do, and for reasons she wouldn't tell him, she feared that they'd kill him five times before he hit the ground and before she could protest, if they'd listen anyway. But when they had started to date, they had learned of each others identity about a month ago, and Usagi had lost the ability to transform.

He had cornered her after a big scare and she had broken down into tears, of course she hadn't wanted to be Sailor Moon, but she knew she had a duty, one that involved her to fight. So Mamoru had tried his hardest to figure it out, but he knew she wasn't telling him something, something important. He couldn't press her on it, he'd tried but Usagi was elusive when she didn't want to talk about something. She could be as mysterious and slippery as Haruka or Michiru. _Or_ she could be as twerpy as a teenage girl, going ga-ga over the newest fashion. Or as loving and considerate friend. And she was definitely a devoted girlfriend.

Mamoru made sure to stay out of Ami's way. But a tap on the shoulder brought his attention to another person he should have dodged, and not just because he didn't want her to know he was there. "Oh, hello Rei." Mars, he silently named her, after Usagi's worry about Rei and him going to the event together, he started wondering about the others connection with Usagi, and he figured it out, seeing them again in person. He was hoping she would back off, especially if he was short with her.

"Mamoru!" She quickly made her spot on his arm. Mamoru removed his arm and moved discreetly away. Rei pouted but continued talking. "What brings you here Mamoru? I didn't think this was a place you'd voluntarily go to."

Rei was right about that and seemed to conveniently forget that she'd asked him long ago, or she just didn't want to push the issue and embarrass herself by admitting to being rejected. He'd have to make sure in the future his concentration was at an all time high when he knew she would be around. Especially when Usagi wasn't in his eyesight, without her ability to transform, his senses wouldn't pick up if she was in trouble until just before she got hurt. "Just looking, why are you here?" Usako wanted him to play nice with her friends, but he hated to disillusion them, but she was hoping that they wouldn't kill him as meanly if he at least wormed his way into their lives a bit more and showed he wasn't such a bad guy. Rei already thought that way, so he really had to play it carefully with her, not to give her any hope, but at the same time, stay on her good side, it was slowly becoming clear to him exactly what he had to do to play that portion right.

"I secretly have a passion for them." Rei looked uncomfortable and glanced around the room, he knew she had a job to do, but it also worked to show that she wasn't just waiting around for him, which he hoped she wouldn't. "Hey you haven't seen Ami or Ordango around have you?" That explained what she was looking for, she was searching for one.

"I just saw Ami somewhere near the Russian stacking dolls and what would Odango have to do in a place like this? She'd probably just break everything in sight." Inwardly he took a deep breath, annoyed that he had to follow the insults after they'd gotten together, he was just over it, but he had to keep up appearances.

"Oh, that's good." Rei said offhandedly, not noticing of his inner terminal. "So would you like to accompany me since we're both here, alone?" She didn't seem to care about the answer to her question about her friends, or his insult to her friend, though if he hadn't said anything, she might have noticed past her infatuation with him.

"Actually Rei, I have a girlfriend, she may show up here yet." He was looking around, as if he was worried about being seen with her.

Rei's face fell. "Oh. I'm sorry." He hesitated before leaving her, he was trying to understand how she had meant that apology, whether or not she had meant the fact that she was sorry for pursuing him, or if she was sorry he had a girlfriend.

As he was trying to make out her cryptic reply, he was rudely run into by a man with brown hair and blue eyes. The man's shoulder ran into Mamoru's and Mamoru turned to look at him. Mamoru was instantly reminded of someone. "Do I… know you?" Mamoru asked.

"No, you do not." The man was also reminded of someone, but he had energy to collect and he could not be bothered.

Mamoru's back tensed and he watched the man walk through the rooms and booths, his eyes narrowing on the path he meandered. He could have sworn that he knew him from somewhere. He had a bad feeling about all of this, the man was up to something, and Mamoru wanted to follow him, he was heading in the direction Usagi and Shingo had disappeared down earlier. His lips twitched, whatever the other man was, he was trouble for Usagi. He turned slightly to go after the brunette.

"Mamoru!" He turned his attention back to the black haired priestess. "Mamoru?"

"Hmm?" He asked half distracted, his attention returning to her on a very shallow level.

"Are you listening to me? I asked you if you were all right." Rei was impatient, and with hurt feelings, Mamoru hoped that Usagi would be able to hear his thoughts, for she needed to look out for Rei, because she was in trouble if she didn't blow up at somebody else in the meantime.

"Yes, Rei, I'm fine. But I really must be going." Mamoru walked away and made a detoured trip back to Usagi, hoping he was wrong about the other guy.

If not, she at least still had the ability to pretend that she was 'd just need to get into a hiding spot in time not to be caught by _this_ general as well. Although, to be honest, she hadn't gotten caught transforming, but rather the footpath she had created under circumstances that she hadn't had control over. It was just lucky she wasn't killed in that very same night, lucky he was there waiting for her, in her bed, also probably the same night she'd lost her ability to transform.

He just couldn't understand what she was hiding, everything else was already out on the table, her identity, his, the fact she was only masquerading her image if not her powers, so there was really nothing left for her to hide from him, except maybe the contents of her dreams, and why she was so adverse to a dress he'd seen in her trashcan one night that he'd spent with her. He knew she was hiding something, because he knew her, and he'd caught her looking at him with worry in her eyes, and it wasn't the only emotion in there, there was pain and sadness too. She usually hid it from him and when she was almost caught, would look away before he could. But he saw her through a mirror that she didn't notice, and he felt like he was missing something vital, but what could be more elaborate than the feelings that they already shared?

Usagi figured out how to disguise herself as Moon with the Luna pen, and he'd figured out a way to use her communicator to communicate with him as well as the other senshi. He'd had a look at her broach, and he was still working on a way to connect the Luna Pen with it, so she could just call upon the broach and tap into the Luna Pen's powers. He'd given it back to her though, to waylay Luna's suspicions after the first time she'd handed it over, right after he discovered the truth about her inability to transform. If was almost pointless to have installed a hidden button into her communicator to call him, if she didn't have time to push it. To make the time though, she had to do so without Luna being the wiser, and to do so, was tricky. She had to be even more of a flake than normal and straight out denying Luna's orders.

Luna though was a rotten cat, and advisor, he'd seen some deep scratch marks she'd bestowed on Usagi in the morning sometimes. After a really deep one that needed stitches, Usagi would only pretend to be asleep and when she was threatened with the claws again, Usagi would jump out of bed and run around like she used to. Usagi tried to hide them from him, saying Luna hadn't meant to, and laughed when he threatened to cut all of them off.

Her newest plan was to send Luna off ahead so she could transform in a different location each time and contact him before running off to the battle, last to arrive, every time.

He was almost there, having had to go around even more people to avoid being followed or spotted or acknowledged to where he was actually going. There was a pain in his foot and he would have rolled his eyes at the location of the sensation this time, had it not meant something very serious was about to go down. "No, not now." Mamoru thought as he made his way to Usagi, she was already in danger and in a fight.

* * *

Usagi trailed along behind Shingo to the door housing Mika, and then he stopped and wouldn't go any further. She rolled her eyes and opened the door for him and led the way in, taking his hand and pulling him along. It was easy to see that Shingo was just having a case of cold feet, he was nervous of taking the relationship to the next level, being more than friends, and whatever that involved at 13 years of age, probably just hand holding and talking really close together and watch a lot of movies.

Usagi chuckled, except for a few things, that's all she seemed to do with Mamoru too. She liked her little brother, and she wanted to help him out. He too had a hidden respect for Usagi, no matter how much he teased her and called her Odango, probably picked up by Rei.

Usagi was barely in the room when she stopped short and Shingo ran into her back. "Ow, Usa-nee, why'd you stop?" He rubbed his nose and looked around. "Why is it so dark?" He wondered.

Usagi was wondering the same thing. The room was completely dark except for the fact that there was a small orange light in the back corner of the room and Mika was hunched over it, with a doll in her hands, obviously working on it. The room was creepy and she was getting a bad vibe about this, and Usagi tried to push Shingo back out of the room, but he chose this moment to be brave and walked forward towards the girl.

"Mika?" He asked softly, trying to gain her attention. Mika looked up just as Usagi saw the row of dolls behind her, and all of their eyes gleamed. Shingo gasped, and Usagi's attention turned back to Mika to see her eyes darkened past her normal level and then she slumped over the table in a faint.

Usagi grabbed Shingo's arm, intending to throw him out of the room and just as her hand closed over his arm, the door slammed shut, and she knew without trying it, that it would be impossible to open back up again. "Shingo- I need you to get out through the back door."

"I'm not leaving her, what's happened?" He demanded, trying to get at the girl he liked.

"I'll get her, just go!"

"No!" Shingo fought towards her. "What's wrong with her?"

"It's just a lack of energy." Usagi grabbed his other arm and knelled in front of him. "I can't help her at the same time as making sure you're safe. You need to go out the backway, ok? I don't think they know about it yet."

The dolls came to life and made their way towards them, leaving Mika alone, thankfully. Usagi put herself between Shingo and the dolls, especially the sad looking one that was slowly turning colors and the energy was expanding, out of the doll, turning into the lead youma, the rest was just division.

The exit she had wanted him to leave through was blocked by the youma, but if she could manage it, she could get Shingo to Mika, and the two of them would be left alone while she provided her own diversionary tactic.

"Ok, here's what you're going to do." She caught his attention and she continued. "Sneak behind the furniture and get to Mika, make sure you stay in hiding while I draw their attention and lead them outside." She looked at him sharply to make sure he understood this final part. "_Leave_ the room once I'm gone." Shingo looked reluctant to let his sister do all the hard stuff, but she looked like she would accept no argument.

He moved out from behind her as she darted to the side and called the attention to her. He slid behind the tables and chairs, moving over to Mika and nudged her shoulder. "Mika, come on wake up." He whispered, but with no response, he pulled her down from the desk and hid behind it, protecting her with his body and prayed his sister would be all right.

"You're nothing but a bunch of insignificant dolls, really your china-like beauty would never match up to my real one. Never match up to the beauty in everyone's hearts, because you're not real." Usagi taunted the youma, but out of the corner of her eye, she was watching Shingo's progress, and was proud of him for taking such care of Mika. He'd grow up to be a good man, she knew that for sure. She tried to warn him when one of the youma noticed him and sent a blast in his direction. "Shingo!" She called but it was too late, he was knocked unconscious and there was no longer a reason for her to withhold transforming. Moon was in her place shortly, the luna pen she was holding disappearing with the change, and she snapped her attention back to the youma. "What a very stupid thing to do." Moon growled and pulled power out of her to infuse with the metal she took off of her forehead. "I would think all you nega-scum would be ashamed of yourselves, half thought up plots, that go nowhere, and fail miserably." She was about to release the tiara when she was blasted to the side.

She groaned as she slammed into the wall from such dead on force, she hadn't been expecting that when she was attempting to stir up the youma, and she looked to what caused it as she struggled to her feet. The Luna Pen did nothing in the way of protecting her from such attacks and nothing to help her heal faster either. The pain seemed more intense than she remembered any attack when she had her broach.

A red headed man stood over her in anger and used his foot to push her back down again. "And here I thought that you could back up your words. Seems they were just all hot air." He kicked her while she was down. "I get enough of this from the Queen, I don't need it from a petty child in return."

He was powering up for another attack when a rose landed on his foot, making him call out in pain instead of baring down on her. "I will not allow you to harm a soldier of peace, love and justice." Kamen stood in front of her, cane outstretched and he looked back at her for a moment to make sure she was all right, she sent him a grateful look and he returned it with a smoldering one which she only shrugged innocently to, before he continued. "Nor for using talent in something little girls and women alike for evil purposes." Usagi knew how much he hated the speeches, just as much as she did.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, what are you going to do about it?" The General replied bored.

"This." A smirk twitched across Kamen's lips under his half domino mask and Moon barely had a chance to see a small black bomb drop into the palm of his white gloved hand before it was whipped away towards the General and the two of them were crashing through a window as it exploded.

Kamen let Moon down to her feet and turned back towards the room where white gas was slowly billowing out of. He felt a hand crash down onto his back in anger. "Idiot!" She yelled, and he had to restrain her from going back into that room. "Let me go!" She struggled in his arms, but she had no real strength to fight against his, maybe before...

"What's the matter?" He demanded, pulling her further from the window, in case one of the creatures inside decided to follow their path.

"Shingo's in there!" She cried, the bomb could have hurt the two. "And Mika." She clarified on a somewhat afterthought, she was more concerned about her brother, though she was concerned about Mika too, but Shingo was related, was family.

"They'll be fine." He covered smoothly, his hair had risen in fear when the prickles became more than annoyance, but pain as well, signaling she had been hurt. He tugged her towards a bench, he wouldn't let either of them go back in, the senshi would just have to handle it, no doubt hearing the commotion by now. "The bomb won't hurt either of them, not even Mika, who has been used by them. I wasn't so sure about you though, I've always managed to maneuver you out of the way before it actually exploded."

She reluctantly followed, the enemy generally left the humans alone once drained, and no doubt would leave Shingo alone too, as he wasn't a threat. She wanted to go back in though and beat up the new General to a pulp. She couldn't believe he was using people this way, at least with Jadeite, he attacked a large crowd, wasn't specifying anyone to be attacked. "Where are we going?" She questioned when she realized that they were heading away from the fight.

"What were you thinking, taking on an army yourself?" Kamen rounded on her at the noise, pulling her to a halt in front of him and glaring down at her. He didn't forget the cheeky look she'd sent him when he glared at her earlier for doing such a thing.

"Sorry." She tried to ignore the heat from his gaze and lifted a shoulder. "I didn't have time in the chaos to alert anyone. Shingo was still awake until just before the General arrived, and I was lucky to have transformed without being noticed as it was. I didn't have time to stop for chitchat."

Her communicator beeped just to spite her and remind her that she had a job to do, and that the senshi were able to use the communicator while fighting off a leigion of youma dolls and a no doubt, very angry general. She turned to go back into the fight,but Kamen stopped her for a second. "Hold on, how badly are you hurt?" He tilted her head up so she'd be looking straight in his eyes and she hesitated, trying to decide how much to tell him. "Don't you dare lie to me."

Moon sighed and glanced down at her side, she really didn't know herself, actually. "Blast." Moon shrugged. "Maybe a very big, deep bruise, at most?"

Kamen looked down at Moon and sighed, it was one thing if she was fully the suited sailor of justice, but it was another when it was Usako playing dress like a heroine, and while he could tell himself that he'd worry less if she had all the protection her suit would have offered her, he really couldn't admit to that as being the truth, he'd worry about her either way, probably just as badly if this hadn't been a factor in the fights. "I don't want you to go back in there, he's going to be ticked off at us both, regardless if you had anything to do with any of his injuries."

It was Moon's turn to sigh. "I know." They both knew that neither one of them wanted to go in there, wanted the other to go in there either, but it was part of their job and they had to complete it. "What are we waiting for?" She asked finally, and his amused smiled returned to his lips, they both understood and he was prepared to help her in any way possible. Her communicator went off again and Moon looked at him a little unsure all of a sudden. "Do you think the door will be unlocked, or do we have to go back through the window?"

Her question was resolved in a way she hadn't been expecting it to, as it was taken out of her hands when Mars came barreling out of the very same window, Kamen had forged the path through. She was sure she could still see glass in her hair from where they crashed into it and it shattered around them as they did a less graceful version of what Mars just accomplished. Mercury swung her way through it by using the top half of the window as leverage and used the momentum to clear any remaining shards in the frame. She and Mars came to a halt about a foot away from the building and Mars, upon catching sight of Moon and Kamen growled.

Moon raised her hands to ward off her friend and fellow senshi, who she was pissed at, at this very moment was difficult to decide, so it was best to just keep things calm all the way around and focus on the true enemy. "I was just deciding how to get back in. How'd you manage it?" Moon asked with a tight smile, there was a nervous quality to it.

"The other door." Mars grounded out. "One we easily knocked down."

Moon bit her lip, trying to think of a way to respond when the enemy finally decided to follow its most recent prey and competitors. The wall blasted outwards and Kamen dove, covering Moon to protect her, just as Mars did the same thing. Moon was very well protected underneath the two bodies and Mercury was hiding behind a tree, trying to get a clear understanding of their enemy. The General walked out calmly followed by an army of toy dolls and one very large one that reminded Moon strangely of Ghost Busters but instead of being the dough boy, it was a giant doll, larger than lifesize as it moved around and pinned its sights on the three still piled on the ground.

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" The General mocked. "I now know who the leader is, you should be ashamed of yourselves for letting such valuable information slip so easily, didn't you know it was a dead give away when you all threw yourselves at her? Lucky for your conscious, I already knew, due to my predecessor."

"What is your name?" Moon's eyes narrowed into slits, waiting for the response, knowing as it was a General, that it had to have a glib answer before being serious.

"What does it matter to you? You won't get a chance to use it."

"I just wanted to know the name of the next General I defeated." Kamen and Mars both looked at her like she was crazy, Mars, who didn't know anything of the sort, and Kamen who thought she'd gone bonkers to admit that she fought another General without telling her senshi and that she hadn't been the one to actually defeat him. Moon rolled her eyes at Kamen, it didn't matter, she was just doing it as a ploy.

"If you must know, it's Nephrite, but then again, perhaps it'll be nice having you beg for an easy death, using my name." Nephrite opened his hand and shot a blast out at them, Kamen grabbed Moon and disappeared out of its way. For a second Moon actually thought they'd disappeared into thin air, for one moment they were standing in the way of the blast, and the next he was standing off to the side, and Moon thought it was crazy, Kamen couldn't transport them, then she realized he'd just acted quickly, as it was the most logical explanation. But she still couldn't help but wonder if he'd managed to tap into some of his hidden powers and use the small range teleportation that all of them actually had available to them, even the generals.

Moon couldn't help the moan that escaped when she raised her arm to grab her tiara, this time, intending to finish the job she had started inside. It pulled at the bruise along her side, and she realized it might be more than that when it felt sharp. Kamen put a hand against her tender side, holding his hand there, hoping the pressure would help relieve the pain and it did, for the most part. She used her tiara and tossed it at the youma, ignoring Nephrite, it was the better course of action, Nephrite might deflect it better than the youma, and they'd loose their slight advantage. The warming sensation wasn't so bad in her hand, and she'd learned how to use less of her core powers and threaded it along the disk, making it more powerful than when she was Moon.

The youma sliced in half, and turned to dust, the rest of the dolls fell over, cured of the possession. Moon turned to thank Kamen for his help, but he had removed his hands when she did so, not wanting to pull at her injury and there was a frown along his lips as he glanced down at his hands. Moon put her hands over his, without looking at them and instead looked up into his face. "Are you all right?"

"I am, but you've got a cut along your side."

Moon brushed it off, Nephrite had disappeared with the destruction of his youma, and it was his first battle, so chose not to engage at the moment. "It's nothing but a flesh wound, it can't be serious." Moon ignored his disgust at the term and lightness she was taking it.

He shook his head. "Go detransform and I'll take care of the rest."

"I can't- the girls, Shingo-"

"I'll take care of it, now go, and come stumbling along the wall inside the room as I enter it." He pushed her towards it, the other two senshi, were looking for their hidden leader, they saw the tiara slice the youma in half, but couldn't figure out where exactly it had come from, besides the general direction it had stemmed from.

Mercury put a hand on Mars' arm when she noticed Kamen heading back into the destroyed area of the building. Mars nodded and they followed him, meaning to have a word with him on his behavior as of late, especially in dealing with their leader. "Shingo?" They heard Usagi's voice as they got closer and saw her turning over tables, and looking under ones that were still standing as she made her way along the room.

Kamen was by her side in two steps and was helping her look for her brother. "When she-" Mars frowned, trying to figure out how Moon got to that location, back into the room, without them noticing and when she detransformed.

Mercury shushed her before she could say anything incriminating and they walked forward to help aid in the search. Perhaps she had to pretend to be looking for her brother to explain away her appearance if Kamen had seen Usagi there when the enemy attacked and then she disappeared as well, if he noticed that. Maybe that's why he headed back in in the first place, to make sure she was alright. Mercury's mind was kicking out possibilities as they got closer to Usagi and Kamen, and it seemed to be the most logical explanation.

Usagi knew where her brother was, or at least had, until the bomb shuffled everything around, she glared at Kamen for the reminder of it, her brother and Mika could be hurt! He looked sufficiently abashed for acting without thinking of these consequences, he had designed the bomb so the power wouldn't hurt the innocents, not protect them from the fall out of other objects being impacted by them. He'd have to figure out a way to make sure it only harmed the generals and youma, and not the infrastructure around them.

Usagi lowed her eyes as she moved another piece of furniture, Kamen's hands next to her own as he helped lifted it, she really shouldn't be giving him such a hard time. He had acted without thinking it through, yes, but he had done so to save _her_. She couldn't be mad at him and when his hand covered hers lightly without the senshi's knowledge, she looked up at him with an apology in her eyes for being so defensive of her brother.

A small crooked grin lit upon his lips for a second and they both knew the other had forgiven them and they'd work better at the problems in the future.

Mars glowered at the close proximity the dark figure was next to her leader, and not only that, but in her human, and more vulnerable form! She cleared her throat when Kamen's arm went around her to help her lift a particularly heavy piece, or would have been if both weren't super strong, but as it was, it was still heavier than the rest. Though again, Usagi wasn't in her stronger form, no matter how slight the difference could be.

Both Kamen and Usagi turned their attentions to Mars and she lifted an eyebrow pointedly at their position. Usagi blushed and ducked out of between his arms, and Kamen only rolled his eyes behind the safety of his mask. Usagi was too scared of these girls, he thought annoyed, he should be able to just take her in his arms and kiss her deeply whenever he felt like it, senshi be damned.

"Why don't you go help Mercury? I'll help the girl look for her brother." Mars suggested and Usagi looked away, not wanting to rock the boat.

"It's all right, I think we're making progress over here. How's your corner looking?" Kamen shifted a flat chunk of ceiling away from the desk, pleased that at least today the innocents were safely concealed by the desk that was miraculously still standing.

Usagi gasped and dove for the two. "Shingo! Mika!" She put her hands on each of their faces, hoping that they were still all right, and Mars had to give her credit for her acting skills if it wasn't real concern. Usagi had to know if they were all right, right away, and if not, touching them should have assured her. Mars moved forward to make sure that they were indeed all right, but it was pointless to do so as one of them moaned, and Usagi leaned in to hug them. "Oh Shingo! You're all right?"

"Usa-nee-chan?" He asked with a sore voice. "What happened? Mika!" He must have popped up because suddenly Mars heard a crash and she winced, thinking about his poor head. Mercury was trying to get close enough to scan the two, to make sure they really were all right.

"It's ok Shingo, I'm not sure what happened, you got hit, and Mika had passed out..." Usagi turned to Kamen. "Is she going to be all right?" Usagi asked desperately.

"She will be." Kamen reassured in his low tones. "She just had her energy drained by the enemy. We see this all the time." He was lying, it had never been an individual before, but unconscious people was seen often enough, but the two 'human's' seemed to buy it as they turned towards their unconscious third. "I'll carry her." He suggested kindly as they moved away from the desk and contemplated getting her out of the room.

"They won't come after her again, will they?" Shingo sounded stressed as he leaned on his sister's side for support, she had wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him standing, with as much capability as she could 'muster'.

"No." Usagi swore fervently "I think it's usually a one time thing, they got what they came for."

Shingo looked up at Usagi with a type of praise in his eyes, glad she knew so much more on the subject than he did, so she could reassure him now. He hugged her close and together they waded out of the room, Kamen leading with the unconscious bundle in his arms and leaving the remaining two senshi to either follow or continue picking through the rubble. Or to go home, which all present ahead of them, wished.

The crowd had all but disappeared, only those with members still missing or gawkers stayed in the untouched portion of the building. Mika's mother rushed to them, and took her daughter's face into her hands. "My baby!" She cried, looking her child over for injury.

"I think she's fine, ma'am. She's just in need of rest." Kamen spoke for the group that just came out and the woman turned her attention to the siblings.

"Oh thank heavens the two of you are all right! You weren't caught up in that blast as well, were you?"

"We were." Shingo spoke before Usagi could properly cover for all of them, and glad she didn't have to stretch the truth this time.

Mika's mom engulfed the two of them in a hug at the same time. "Come along then, I'll take you all home and properly cared for. Oh thank you Kamen-sama, and senshi-sama!" She bowed to them and then seemed to finally notice them, even after she thanked them. "Where is your third? Is she hurt?" Mika's mom looked around and Usagi shifted nervously, then the woman laughed. "Probably scoping out the damage outside, I'd imagine, such a responsible child, that one!"

Mars snorted, but it turned into a grunt as Mercury jabbed an elbow into her ribs, fair warning, considering if she had completed her task, an Usagi who didn't have more to hide than just her identity would have screeched at Mars and then all the covers would have been blown, or at least would have somewhat, if she didn't catch herself either.

Usagi ruffled Shingo's hair and nodded towards the doors. "Sure, I could use a ride." Shingo winced. "I'd hate to walk all the way back to the bus, and then the stop to our house."

Usagi frowned in thought, wondering if her brother was really all right, he seemed hurt, but then again, she'd been on the receiving end of those blasts by the youma, they only hurt for a second to her, but to be human, it might have been like falling off a building or something, who knew? She knew her side was burning even as they dallied in the room. Kamen was watching her, marking her every move, seeing if his help would be needed with yet another female, and so she made sure no reaction or emotion crossed her features that wasn't part of her normal Usagi charm.

"What's wrong Shingo?" She asked instead.

"The doll I'd made for Mika's broken!" He complained with a wail, not unlike his sister's.

Mika's mom shook her head. "Mika will forgive you, she'll probably just be so pleased you have even been thoughtful enough to bring her it. What was it of?"

"Sailor Moon." Shingo admitted and everyone missed the blush that crossed Usagi's cheeks, she had no input on what he made for Mika, and she was secretly glad it had broken, the Moon doll had been fat and disfigured, not intentionally, but due to poor craftsmanship, Kamen smirked as he recalled the doll too, and she wanted to punch him in the arm, he was no help! Shingo just idolized Sailor Moon, and if he ever found out it was his sister, he'd be mortified.

"We should put the child in the car." Kamen reminded all of them and Mars and Mercury really had nothing to do if Usagi would be going home with the woman and the two younger kids.

So Mars and Mercury waited until they disappeared out the door before heading back into the falling apart room, and took off towards their respective homes. It wasn't like Rei would get another chance to ask Mamoru out on a date, he'd already left it seemed like, no doubt found his girlfriend and convinced her into a more appropriate venue. Mars glowed red with jealousy.

Mika, her mother, Shingo, Kamen and Usagi were outside by the car when Shingo suddenly looked at Usagi. "Where'd Mamoru-san go?" Shingo asked, looking around. "He left?"

Usagi shook her head. "I'm sure he's somewhere around here freaking out, looking for us. I should go see if I can find him." Kamen finished putting Mika in the car, strapped her in and then disappeared.

"Does he always do that?" Shingo asked when he noticed the tuxedo wearing man had disappeared as well.

Usagi shrugged. "You'd have to ask the senshi if that's his normal way of parting, without a word or warning." Usagi looked over her shoulder when she heard her name. "Well speak of the devil, there's Mamoru."

Shingo turned to look at the man running across the distance between the building and the car in the lot, he was waving and by the time he reached them, he was panting, Usagi knew for sure that, _that_ was a con, Mamoru was never out of breath, she knew that long before she understood why. "There you three are! I was looking all over for you! I was so worried, and then when I returned to the main room to see if you had somehow missed me and returned, only to learn you had, and were out here!" He put an arm around Usagi's waist instantly and pulled her against his side, looking down at her. "Were you hurt?"

"No, Shingo was a little, Mika fainted, Kamen said it was an energy depletion." Usagi almost winced at the term, but it was Shingo who was with them, and was used to her slipping up in that way, he'd seen Mamoru on a few occasions and knew the two were dating. Shingo almost gagged at the tenderness passed between them.

But Shingo also liked Mamoru, his sister probably couldn't do better, there was no one out there that was, and if there was, she'd no doubt drop Mamoru and snag the better guy. She only deserved the best. "Do you need a ride, Mamoru-san?" Mika's mother asked, saving him from having to say anything to combat Usagi's worry over his health.

"No thank you ma'am, I have driven and if it is all right with you, I'd rather snag Usagi, our date got cut short, and I'd rather give her my personal inspection to make sure she's all right."

Shingo lifted his eyebrow at the reference while the woman blushed and mumbled something out. Usagi on the other hand couldn't be more mortified that Mamoru would even suggest something like that! And blushed to a scarlet color herself. But she was also ecstatic to have been given a fantastic reason to ditch all the negative onlookers who would have never let her go otherwise. "You'll be all right, Shingo?" Usagi asked, reaching out a hand to touch his hair, and he ducked.

"Yeah, now go, have fun." Shingo slid into the car and buckled up. He rolled down his window when the mother got in too and started the car. Usagi and Mamoru were heading towards his car. "Oh, and Usagi-baka, thank you."

Usagi turned her head towards him and smiled before he waved and the woman and two children drove down the street. Mamoru spun on her before they even reached the car. "You're amazing, I'll have to keep that in mind."

"It was all mostly real, I didn't have to lie for even a second, really." Usagi defended herself.

Mamoru shook his head and reached for the edge of her shirt. "Not what I meant."

Usagi grabbed her shirt away from his fingers, "Mamo-chan!" She cried and looked around wildly, embarrassed.

"Usako, I wanted to see your wound." Mamoru responded gently yet determinedly. Usagi let go with great reluctance. Usagi's side was a bright pulsing red, but on deeper inspection it didn't look so bad, there was a cut that was fairly deep, but not deep enough to cause injury internally. "I'll have to take you back to my apartment, you need some stitches."

* * *

Mamoru finally got the white guaze over her wound and pulled down the shirt, it had taken him forever between Usagi teasing him about 'taking her back to his place, for... stitches', then she tried everything she could to distract him. "Usako!" He had to discipline as her lips found the side of his neck again. "I need to finish this before you get an infection and you tear the stitches."

It couldn't have been hurting her that terribly if she was doing anything in her power to get him to forget about her wound. Once he finished taping it in place, he turned his frustration on her and tumbled her back onto the couch, crawling over her to complete what she started. She giggled at his eyebrow wagging and threw herself in it happily.

His lips had just found the spot on her neck that she had reacted to just yesterday and her head arched back to allow him more access with a moan of pleasure when the most hateful noise interrupted their moment. He was away from her and in the kitchen with some excuse about cooking something up and Usagi sat up, straightened her hair and pulled out her communicator.

"Usagi, you dolt!" Rei grumbled when Usagi came upon the connection. Usagi rolled her eyes at the greeting, it was very similar to how she was normally greeted, Usagi had come to accept it as a term of endearment, or she'd probably strangle one of her best friends. "What'd you say to Shingo to take this?"

"For your information, it' you who called me, Rei." Usagi was about to close the communicator on her, she didn't need Rei giving her a hard time when Rei interrupted with an apology and asked again what she'd said to Shingo. "That it was my cellphone, which I do have, by the way, if this is a social call." Usagi pointedly brought to attention.

Rei mumbled something out about that being right and another apology. "Are you all right? Did Kamen leave you alone after we left? Why didn't you contact us when the youma attacked?"

"There wasn't enough time." Usagi explained. "I was with Shingo and Mika in the room when the youma emerged and started attacking things. Shingo had been hit or something and I had to transform after he was knocked unconscious to defend myself or suffer the same fate." Usagi would have tried to at least get Mamoru notice if anything, he took precedence, but luckily he had a connection with her to know if she was in trouble. "Then the blast happened and we scattered outside, I didn't have time to try and get a hold of you."

"That blast was a bomb, Usa-chan, do you know how that happened?" Usagi bit her lip, trying to figure out how much to disclose as prior knowledge, she'd already slipped up on admitting that she knew Jadeite was dead, or at least as far as she knew.

"I'm not sure what happened with the bomb. Kamen had sent his entry rose in and injured Nephrite, but that's all I know for sure, I didn't see it." That part was true at least, she hadn't seen the bomb at all, before Kamen was pulling her out the window.

"If it wasn't for the bomb, we probably wouldn't have been alerted to the danger. You're really lucky Usagi, that you had Kamen there to help support you against this new enemy and that we were there, and brought to attention of the attack to help you as well."

Usagi wanted to roll her eyes, it was just like Rei to take the credit away from her and spread it to even the man she hated in an effort to belittle Usagi in some way. Rei didn't think she could handle working on her own without outside help without being seriously hurt, Usagi wanted to remind Rei about the time before Ami and Rei, and also inform her of her stint against Jadeite, though that wasn't her finest hour, nor was it actually a win on her own, she needed Kamen's assistance and his new bomb technology, something she had purposefully avoided admitting to know anything about.

Rei's eyes moved and she angled herself to get a better view through the small screen between them. "Where are you now?"

"In one of the bedrooms of Mika's house." Usagi claimed, accepting that lie as it was, she couldn't tell Rei about Mamoru, not if she wanted anything to happen besides her visiting his grave every day, when she was allowed or slipped away from the girls who wouldn't let her out of sight afterwards probably, they wouldn't trust her to be alone after that.

"Are you all right? You were walking a little differently with Shingo."

"He was leaning on me." Usagi began to protest, and then realized it would be worthless to keep this from them, they'd eventually see it or notice it one way or another. "Nephrite did get a blast in though before you came and I took down the youma."

Rei nodded, thoughtful. "Well, take care of yourself, would you? Do you need us to come over and patch you up?"

"No, it's ok, Mika's mom is going to take care of it when the other two are done. I was next in line when you called. Once I'm all fixed up, I'll come by the temple."

"All right." Rei seemed put out to have to wait so long and they said their goodbyes.

Usagi glanced up at the door when she had closed the communicator, he had been standing there for a little while and was trying to distract her from her conversation and so she pointedly ignored him. But once she finished she looked up with a smile at the man leaning against the frame of the bedroom door. She could never get over the fact of how lucky she was to have him in her life, and for him to be her boyfriend. She pushed herself off the ground and to her feet, he was there to try and help her up, but she beat him to the punch, and really, she was capable on her own to do such things, he was just a gentleman through and through. "Mamo-chan. Or should I say my masked man, my dashing hero in a cape?" She asked, leaning up against him and angling her head so he could kiss her if he just leaned down slightly, no matter how much she tried, she could not get tall enough to kiss him first, unless she pulled down his head to her level.

He took the opportunity she gave him and laid his lips over hers. He groaned into her mouth. "Usako. You taste so sweet." His hands rested on her back and slid down to her hips and intensified the kiss a bit more. His hands cupped her butt and used the small amount of cushioning there to lift her up and spin her around, towards the living room. She giggled at the action and he set her back down on her feet, sliding his hands back up her back, this time snagging the end of her shirt and slipping underneath against the warm flesh of her back. "I can't believe you have to go." He had time off today, and she had to go deal with her senshi, their date never did manage to get done.

"Only when I've been fixed up, and I have to admit, I don't think you've quite managed to satisfy me yet."

"What's left to fix?" He asked, voice husky, how had they always managed to get to this point? Where it was hell to try and restrain himself.

Usagi's finger was doing hellish things against his chest as she drew it up and down. "The date that was promised to me." She lifted a blond eyebrow, even though she had promised him it'd be ok, she was still owed a nice day with him.

He chuckled and dipped her backwards and the action caused her to squeak in pain and he had to stop himself from dropping her onto the ground in his alarm. She hadn't even acknowledged in his presence any pain until now, and thus it was easy to forget she was even hurt. Mamoru pulled her back up to a straight position and dropped to his knees to check out the stitches under the white guaze to make sure he didn't rip any.

Usagi ran her hand through his obsidian hair and tried to reassure him. Though she doubted it was having any luck. She'd begin to wonder why she was always being hurt and needing him to take care of her, but it just went with the job description, when fighting such dangerous people and creatures, she was bound to get hurt occasionally. Not having the protection, it was bound to be more often, but really, she was used to being hurt, so it didn't really bother her that much, he was still getting used to his love though being hurt and not being there for her. They both understood this and Usagi tried to get him to relax, it was something that both of them would be dealing with for months to come, until this enemy was gone. They didn't know exactly what they were dealing with, but if Jadeite was any indicator, then they would be fighting for a long time. "It's nothing new, you know that."

He sent her a look saying he wasn't pleased as he started lying kisses on her stomach and around the wound. "I should have been there sooner."

"I didn't even have time to realize he was in the room, there was nothing you could have done." He rested his head against her flat belly contemplating the situation and then he left one final kiss on her wound before standing up to look down into her blue eyes. "So, what does my eighteen year old boyfriend want to do now?" Her eyes twinkled, he knew exactly where her thoughts were taking her, and he decided from now on, they needed to get out of the apartment, it was just a confine space where they were left completely alone, and there were serious risks involved in that.

"I don't know, my sixteen year old girlfriend." He pointed out, not that it really mattered, but it did emphasize that they were both young.

"I'm almost seventeen." She reminded him, and he chuckled leaning down to kiss her nose.

"Whatever Odango, almost doesn't cut it."

Usagi's nose scrunched up. "Don't call me that."

"Still beautiful, even annoyed." He kissed her and she tripped him with her enthusiasm, causing them to fall onto the couch, Mamoru over her, and using his arms to support his weight from crushing her. Usagi's arms came around his neck making him have more body weight over her. Their kisses went from playful to more passionate. They kissed every inch of each other's face. Mamoru went from her jaw to her neck. He thought about giving her a hickey again, but held back because he knew she was going to go see her friends and it'd be out of place with the cover story she had given them. So instead he just gave her a love kiss where one had been at a point in time when he felt the whole world should know she was his. The place was between her collarbone and the graceful curve of her neck. When she had noticed it the next morning, she'd smacked him upside the head in annoyance at having to have to cover it up until it went away.

He felt the shudder go through Usagi at the contact and memory of the last time and he smiled in a dazed, passionate way as his lips worked their way back up to hers. She turned the aggressor at the contact and he liked it that way, she could lead however much she wanted, and he'd always respond. Her lips evaded his and slid them along his face as she moved towards his ear. She nipped at it, the lobe between his teeth for a moment, pulling on it and he groaned out loud.

Then she kissed down his neck and moved to his throat, over his Adam's apple and placed a delicate kiss on the hollow of his throat. She slid her tongue over to the connection between his neck and shoulder and made the place moist then sucked and used her teeth to nip at the flesh. She licked it once more when she was happy with it.

Mamoru's chuckle was deep and throaty; she had just given him a hickey. She moved her face back up to his slowly. It was her turn to mark his as hers. It pleased him to be claimed by such a passionate little bundle of energy.

His fingers slid up her ribcage, knowing full well she was ticklish and got a response out of her before sliding them over her shoulders and neck before plunging his hands into her fine locks of golden hair. Usagi ran her hands over the full length and width of his chest before grabbing fistfuls of the dark head of hair. All the while kissing him. One of their legs became intertwined. Mamoru lightly bit her bottom lip. Their tongues explored each others mouths and he angled her head back for further access.

One hand slid back down her arm and rested on her stomach. The hand was warm and her insides were already on fire and that just added fuel.

After who knew how long, they finally came back to the harsh reality. Usagi would have to be leaving soon. Mamoru hadn't shifted since both had called it quits. Both trying to get their breath back. Usagi was just happy to lie under Mamoru, like a happy cat soaking up sun on its back.

Usagi was the one who got her breath back the fastest. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around his chest. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, carefully tucking her into his chest and lap. She fit so well with him. Usagi cuddled into his warmth.

"Usako, have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Yes, but it's always nice to hear it." She replied with a smile and hugged him even tighter. "Where does this question come from?"

She felt Mamoru shrug and she looked up to force an answer out of him. He finally relented. "It's the first time since Jadeite that I've felt like if I was a second later, it'd be too late."

Usagi laughed at him. "You sure do have a low opinion of how well I can take care of myself. It wouldn't have been the end, I might have been hurt more, but I wouldn't have been defeated. You worry too much, I'm really ok, please believe that." He had moved slightly to rest his hand against her wound.

Mamoru kissed her temple and put his cheek next to hers. "I just wish I had gone with you, but, all right, I'll have more faith in your abilities from now on." Usagi didn't need to add after that, that Shingo had wanted only her and it was good to see how the boundaries of miscommunication and what they could do in the future to change it, they couldn't plan for every continuance.

Her cellphone beeped, stating she had a message and she pulled away with a sigh. "I really have to get going, they're going to wonder and be concerned if I take too much more time."

Mamoru followed her path and leaned in, his face inches from hers. "Another kiss?"

When the kiss turned into more, Usagi started to giggle. "Ok, Mamo-chan, Mamo-chan! I _really_ have to get going." She fumbled around for her purse, she needed her brush and he snagged if from her with a frown.

"It's cold outside." He worked on her hair, he enjoyed even this, as he got to run his fingers through the long golden lengths. "What happened to your jacket?"

January was the coldest month of the year in normal circumstances, and with the previous two months behaving beyond the normal matrix of those months, he feared what the weather would do now. Usagi shrugged in thought. "Probably in your car. It won't be so bad, my sweater is warm enough, the nights have been warmer than expected."

He knew that one well enough, but he wouldn't let her out there in just her green sweater. "Are you sure you even want to go?"

"I have to, the girls need me to come over so we can reconstruct what happened at the battle and it's part of real life to be away from you and the apartment eventually." She crawled over him so she had one leg on either side of him and was straddling his lap. "It's not like, _I_ want to go either."

Mamoru rested his hands on her butt, keeping her in place. "I guess you could be right, do you think they'd mind if I held you hostage instead? I have a few things in mind we could be doing instead."

"I've been here two hours as it is." She picked up his wrist and tried to angle it so he could see the watch face. "Is this going to be a reoccurring theme every time I have to leave?" But she was pleased, she didn't want to go either. She tried to squirm off but he picked her up and kissed her to stop anything she was going to say after that, her legs tightened around his waist and her arms went around his neck. After a few minutes she returned to herself and she tried to discipline him as she tried to get off. "Mamo-chan!"

He didn't let her, but he snagged the keys off the kitchen counter. "I'll see you to the door, I need a shower anyways. Do you have everything? Your keys?" His black eyebrow lifted and they both knew what he was referring to.

Usagi sighed, he wasn't going to let her go any time soon and so she leaned her head against his chest, listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart. "_Yes_." She must have dozed off a little because a cold blast woke her up and she realized they were in the garage, next to his car. "I thought you were walking me to the door?"

"I never said that, I said I'd see you to the door, and I meant Rei's temple's gate." He opened her side's door and set her in the seat, buckling her up before closing the door and walking around to his side. She felt so much colder without his arms and body heat. He slid into his side and leaned over the seats to pull her jacket forward and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She said taking the layer, but meaning more than that, and he knew it too, so he only sent her a content smile in return.

It took no time at all to get to Rei's place, and though they talked, it was a feeling of disappointment that their conversation was cut short when he pulled up to the bus stop to let her out. When she let herself out, telling him he didn't need to come around, and closed the door, he pushed the window down. He leaned over to say goodbye to her. Mamoru looked her over, she had her slippers in her hand, her jacket was on but unzipped to show a green fuzzy sweater, her jacket was heavy white that covered a pair of black pants to her low thigh. On her feet were matching white boots. The whole outfit was… cute, and severely sexy. Then again, everything she wore was sexy in his eyes, and unfortunately to the eyes of several men in the vicinity as well, no matter what the location.

"Don't let Rei's grandpa hit on you too much, ok?"

"He stopped that, he knows we're friends with his granddaughter, so he gave her a break at least in that sense." She leaned against the car's frame and leaned her head in. She looked him over as well, and boiled over in how sexy he looked in a fitted black button down and black slacks, she made a face as she caught sight of the ugly green jacket in the back. Really, with his amazing fashion sense, especially for a straight guy, she didn't know how the jacket fit into the mix. She schooled her features though and smiled at him.

"See you tomorrow?" It was Sunday and he was a little disappointed when she shook her head in the negative.

"Pete wants me to have dinner with him, his father and his boyfriend, I have a feeling the girls will want a sleepover tonight and no doubt won't let me out of their sight tomorrow once they have me captive." She was only joking, she loved her friends, but the likelihood that she'd see Mamoru tomorrow, unless it was by chance, was slim.

"So you can go hang out with this Pete guy and two other men, and your friends won't care?"

"One's old, the other two aren't interested in me in the least besides friendship, and if I ever told the girls that's where I was going, I'm sure they'd see it that way too." She winked at him and leaned in even further. They were nose to nose.

"So a whole day without each other?" He asked in mock horror and Usagi bit her lip to keep the giggles at bay. "Monday?"

"Yep, in morning, and after school." She stole a kiss before pulling her top half out of car and took off up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

Undressing Secrets

Hell, I don't know, 2000 perhaps? Maybe earlier? I should have started dates long before that. Computer version: Again, can't find first chapter typed up, or anything else I might have bothered with.

Computer version X-infinitate?

6 March 2010

SUM: With the ability to transform lost, Usagi must figure out another way to face the powers trying to destroy the planet, and keep her senshi from killing the man she loves.

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

AN: So this has absolutely nothing to do with the story, but I was wondering, what would happen if Sailors were not the only people working in Tokyo at the same time? I mean come on there's more manga out there than I can even handle to think about and I was wondering, not a cross-over, but what if they're all happening at the same time? Or at least the ones that take place in the 21st century? I guess not all of them have superpowers and are fighting enemies that the world sees, and not all of them actually take place in Tokyo, but Japan as a whole, but I think it would be interesting to see a fic that mentions the happenings going on, at least in the newpaper, new broadcasts, radio, posters/games etc, during the SM world's chapters, just a mention in passing and what they're dealing with, etc. and maybe even run into some of those character on the street, but not actually talking to them more than an apology and continue on with their lives. I suppose part of this though is partly because I read a story where Edward from Twilight had to interact with someone famous/infamous and it ended up being 'bad' Edward… which I thought was an interesting twist, but also a slacker move, worked well for the story, so no complaints, but it would be interesting to see him run into someone who was alive when he was, and I guess that leant itself to my thoughts here… Moon universe running into other famous people of their lifetimes… hehe… real or imaginary. I won't do it, because I don't actually know the story line for any of the other manga/anime shows.

* * *

Nephrite went back to his mansion in rage, how did those stupid girls manage to defeat his youma? He wasn't a weakling like Jadeite, he'd planned his attacks perfectly, picked out an individual. They must have just been at the fair, the Moon girl must have been in the same room as the one he was draining the energy from.

"Hear you are no better than Jadeite. Lost a youma the first night out too..." A slightly feminine voice said as a greeting.

Nephrite whipped around and saw Zoicite with his feet propped up on Nephrite's dinner table. "Get out!" He growled.

"Aw, pitying a lost?"

"I didn't lose to those sailor brats, it was her boy toy that distracted me enough to let her use her tiara to destroy the youma. Since when did he get a bomb weapon?"

Zoicite shrugged. "New toy?"

Nephrite grumbled then he pushed Zoicite out of the chair. "You know, Jadeite was at least greeted by a female who respected him, all I get is a male who doesn't who what he is."

"I resent that, I know exactly what I am, a winner." Zoicite smirked. "Do you know what you are? A pansy that loses to girls."

"At least I'm not a girl."

Zoicite would have dwelled on that but he was there for a reason. "I wouldn't get too cocky, Beryl is losing faith in you. I'd cover your back if I were you."

"It was only my first time out there. Tell her I have a plan."

"As long as you think that, what will you do if the senshi show up again, though?" Zoicite taunted as he disappeared in a display of rose petals.

"Stupid woman-man." Nephrite went to the kitchen to find his disinfect and wipe down everything Zoicite touched.

* * *

Monday had been a bust for seeing each other; Usagi's mother had informed her as she was scrambling out the door, late as usual. "We're going shopping today; it's our weekly mother-daughter time!"

Usagi had agreed out of breath and as she ran down the street she contemplated that news. The shopping trip was for some 'quality bonding' it would work much better if her mama didn't punish her every day, every week that she had school for her tardiness, grades or whatever. Since the snow in with Mamoru, though, her grades had gotten better, and punishment was less, whether that was because of the grades or the situation of being separated from her children, for an entire month and not by her own choice.

When school let out that day, she tried to angle towards the arcade, just to say a quick hello and goodbye, but her mother was waiting for her outside the school grounds in the car. She'd have to call him later that day, because she didn't know how long this would last. She might as well bring him up to her attention while they were in a good mood and away from her father and Luna.

Her mother squealed like a little girl and hugged her daughter, excited to finally meet the boy who'd changed her mind from 'just friends' to 'dating' and then she found out who her daughter was seeing and her whole demeanor changed. She said she would reserve judgment until after meeting him, but Usagi knew that Ikuko thought the boy wouldn't be good enough for her, because of his behavior in the past. Though Usagi did complain about him less, actually praising some of his good traits over the last month, just not when she was with the girls or Luna. Her mother just didn't seem to recognize that and spent the rest of the day grilling her until they went home.

Usagi got a new wardrobe of clothes for free from her mother, with no questioning of her taste in the clothes, but she was beat both physically and emotionally from all the questions and shopping. Somehow it just didn't seem as fun as it had before she brought up Mamoru, but now her mother was at least satisfied with Usagi's explanation of how they met and went from enemies to dating. Usagi didn't explain how close they had gotten or where they had actually changed their minds about each other, even her mother would have a cow about that, even though nothing really happened then or since.

Although her father would have a fit and Mamoru would be dead again, if he ever caught the two of them with their tongues down each other's throats...

Usagi had to hide the smile which would have been followed by a giggle if she didn't stop it, that came at that thought, away from her mother as they sat at the kitchen table with the rest of the family eating dinner. Shingo saw it, but wisely didn't comment, didn't want his father to blow a gasket. But he did send her a look to watch it, and she smiled broadly at him before putting more food in her mouth and reaching for thirds.

She was kept busy all day until Ikuko sent her up to do homework and would periodically pop in to see how she was getting along and if she needed any help. Usagi's eyes narrowed after the fifth time, she had a feeling that her mom was trying to keep her from talking to Mamoru. She rolled her eyes at the mental thought; Ikuko-mama wouldn't do that, would she?

Usagi finished her work and told her mother that she was going to bed; she took her cellphone and saw that it was almost midnight. She sighed and texted him an apology and said she'd see him in the morning. He responded that it was all right and to have a good night. Luna came in through the window and Usagi deleted all the incriminating messages, in case she checked them while Usagi was asleep. She really didn't need Luna reading messages saying things like 'I love you, I miss...', etc.

Mamoru was listed in her phone as _The Baka_. He found it amusing and they shared in the humor whenever his texts would show up when they were together.

She fell asleep rather easily, hoping because she felt so exhausted, that the dreams would stay at bay, she didn't even have her normal crazy dreams anymore, it was nothing or the more intense horrifying ones.

She didn't have luck, as she woke with a start as the nightmares harassed her. Before it was just sensations, vague images, colors, impressions, now it was worse. It was sounds, smells, actual feelings; she could feel the heat on her skin, burning without actually touching her skin just the radiating heat.

She could see shapes now, not just blurs, but she couldn't see faces yet, and she feared that when she could, the dreams would only get worse, she would know who they were and understand what the situation meant. She didn't want it to get that far, ever, she was more content to let it horrify her in ways she couldn't establish, than dream over and over again people she knew and could put faces to. It would be too much for her.

It always ended though with her feeling a warm liquid in her hands, dripping down and through her fingers, and she always woke up there, not wanting to image or look down to see a color associated with it. Luna's red eyes blinked up at her tiredly, having noticed that Usagi had woken up before she started to nod off again, she was used to it, didn't like it, but knew that Usagi would just go back to sleep. At least that's what the cat had thought.

Usagi actually just laid there very still, breathing deeply, pretending to be sleeping but too afraid to go back to unconsciousness, because she didn't know if they'd return, and occasionally when she fell asleep again, they returned.

She used this time to think and reflect back on the day's events and the enemy and her own lackluster ability to transform. Sometimes her thoughts took her down the negative path, wanting her to admit to her senshi, just so she would no longer be putting them in danger. But then she'd pull herself out of it, because really, she was needed and she still had the ability to destroy the youma, she just was without personal protection, but had gotten that back in the form of a tall dark, masked man. Who stuck next to her whenever he could get away with it.

The only thing she could figure when it came to her transformation ability was that learning Kamen's true identity had cost her her ability to transform. However tonight as she thought about it, she began to wonder if her identity had trigged the change because now her protector knew who she was and could protect her where she no longer needed to protect herself. She wasn't supposed to protect herself any more, meaning, she wasn't supposed to transform and go to battle, and she wasn't supposed to fight. She did so anyways, she had to, her senshi depended on her, maybe without her they would shape up, or maybe without her, they'd die and she'd be left alone. That explanation seemed the more likely to her, as Mamoru could still transform into Kamen, but she wondered if he needed a prop like the rest of them, or if it just overtook him, and if it overtook him, then his suit was no different than what she was doing now, unless he had some type of magic protecting him that he controlled or didn't know about.

It was giving her a headache thinking of all the possible reasons why she was suddenly kicked out of the senshi world, at least armor wise, and didn't want to think about what would happen if anything else started failing on her, she was only thankful that she still had the ability to control her powers.

Powers that were so much more awesome and scary than she had originally came to believe, she hadn't fully tapped into them yet, and she wasn't sure where they would end. She had to be careful not to let them consume her, she sometimes felt a weird sensation come over her, wanting her to let go and fall into the power, and it didn't feel like the power source she'd found in her, it felt different. Hers was warm, comforting, this other one was intoxicating and addicting, and if she fell into it, it would take her over; she was sure about that, at least. She fought against it all the time, it was always beckoning her, once she'd released and located her own abilities. She didn't want to use the other one, didn't want to fall into it, she wanted to keep herself, be herself, the other one scared her to the core. She'd rather it not be there, tempting her, repelling her.

* * *

Tuesday was better, she was exhausted from the night, and she had just started to drift off to sleep, unwilling to be in either realm, but her body had other opinions on the matter. Luna had padded her shoulder, to try and wake her, but when the threat of claws came, Usagi jumped out of bed and tumbled onto the floor with a groan and then she shot to her feet and threw her school uniform on.

She skidded down the stairs, barely catching herself on the railing from falling flat on her face. Shingo was laughing at her as he finished up his breakfast and was rinsing his bowl out in the sink. Ikuko only shook her head with a smile on her face. "Usa-chan, honey, Motoki called to remind you that he needs your help tonight with the moving."

Usagi whirled on Ikuko, with eyes wide, she had forgotten completely about it. She internally groaned she didn't want to abandon Mamoru again for another day; she missed him whenever they were apart and she felt bad. He didn't have as much social activities as she did, but he had a lot more school and work in return. Any time he had off, she just wanted to rearrange her schedule and spend it with him. As far as she knew, he had tonight off completely. She sighed and nodded, waving her goodbye to the two, she had to keep up her friendships too though, and helping Motoki was important, and not helping him meant that she was horrible friend.

Usagi sprinted down the sidewalk towards the building, already knowing she was going to be late, as she was every day. Running into Mamoru had been a habit a year long, and even without his interference, she'd barely made it most of the time before that. However she made it to the building without any interaction with him, and greatly disappointed, she trudged into the classroom. "Ah, Tsukino, on time, I see." Haruka-sensei commented as she found a seat and folded her arms on her desk and rested her chin on them, looking forward to the front of the class room.

When she didn't get yelled at the entire morning, she followed Ami, Naru and Umino out to the courtyard and sank against the tree. "Must have a date." She commented idly, thinking about her teacher and her good fortune if that was the case, Usagi still couldn't recall any date she'd managed to have with Mamoru that hadn't gotten interrupted, if they'd managed to get out on one at all. The few that had happened, and had been interrupted, she'd had to disguise herself encase they'd run into any of their friends.

"Actually, I think she's attending this bridal competition later this week as a judge." Umino informed the group, pushing his coke-bottle glasses up the bridge of his nose. He held out a pamphlet to the group. Usagi snatched it and looked it over, hearts entering her eyes before she shared a look with Ami, they were both worried that any event would lead to a negative interaction, Usagi hoped it would, or at least allowed her to investigate, to be a bride... she sighed, it would never happen, and she'd be a virgin forever.

She handed it over to Naru who sighed in the same time of happy feeling that Usagi and she used to share in, before Usagi had to start seeing the world a little more seriously. Usagi grinned at her friend, hoping she didn't notice anything was wrong, she wanted to be that girl still, and sometimes she would be, and wouldn't catch herself and think about the possibilities. It was just nicer that way, but Ami was there to reinforce the logical side of her brain. "What's up Naru? You've been very... spacey today, and usually that's reserved for me."

"Oh..." She got lost in thought. "I almost got hit by a car today."

"That's not usually a good thing." Ami looked very confused and very concerned about the mental wellbeing of the redhead.

Usagi rolled her eyes at the genius, obviously missing a very important factor. "Was he hot?"

"Very much so, and he was so kind to me, he bandaged up my knee." Naru pushed Umino away before lifting up her skirt a little to reveal the white bandage just above her knee-cap. "He said he'd probably be seeing me around, he's new in the area and is on that street often."

"Ooh, kawaii! He liked you!" Usagi took Naru's hand. "Did he make any plans with you?"

"Not definite, but I am sure, maybe, eventually." Naru got lost in her thoughts again and Usagi pushed for a little more information. "He's only 17, I think." Naru replied. "Not too much older, doesn't go to a normal school, I think, he was dressed in normal clothes, unless he has a late start and hasn't changed yet."

"You think he's really that young?"

"Maybe 20 at the oldest." Naru admitted, she hadn't really gotten a chance to ask him that, herself, and four years wasn't really so bad... nor six or eight. "Whatever, it isn't like my head is up in the clouds for the last month like yours has been! What boy has been affecting you like this?" Naru snapped, unhappy to be questioned on her crush. At first, Usagi's eyebrows had shot up in alarm, afraid that Naru had seen something and had now spilled the beans to _Ami_ and then she realized that Naru only suspected, and was angry for several different reasons.

Usagi had only one choice to diffuse the situation, she laughed. "Why wouldn't I be daydreaming about the month or so we had off of school? It's fond memories, being out of this daily grind. Seeing Motoki on a daily basis, doesn't hurt either."

Naru seemed to come back to herself and settled down a bit, looking apologetic. Usagi tried to reassure her nonverbally that it was all ok. Umino was looking a little green off to the side, as if he'd just been sucker-punched. Usagi felt a little bad for him, but didn't know who he was reacting to, and the romantic thoughts behind them. Ami, for her part only looked mildly confused before going back to her book, she really had no opinion on the affairs of the heart, nor did she want to know, it gave her hives. So she wisely remained out of the discussion, as long as her leader wasn't getting distracted by a male, she had nothing to worry about. Rei knew better, and it didn't seem as such a problem to her, Rei wouldn't get distracted by a guy like Usagi would, and if she were to date, Ami wouldn't say anything against it, where she might have a problem with Usagi being in relationship, it seemed... wrong...

Ami pushed it out of her mind, if Usagi was seeing anyone, the senshi and Luna would be the first to know.

No one commented on Usagi's less than enthusiastic mood all morning and it only mildly picked up after lunch and was met with a groan when she had to go to gym class. The teacher wouldn't leave her alone, she was always having to do more runs, more jumps, more everything than the rest of the class, the fact that she fell on her face doing most, if not all of the activities seemed to only heighten the teacher's love of torturing her with these punishments. She'd demanded to know why once, and she'd gotten a glib, practice makes perfect, in response. Not a satisfactory remark for someone who hated having to cover her nose bruise with makeup, when just walking sometimes was out of the question for her and her skills.

Today, they were doing hurdles.

"At least it's not pole vaulting or the long jump." Naru tried to reassure her friend, though they both knew that it was coming up, in a very few short months, when the weather started getting warmer again. Usagi hoped that by then, her senshi prowess would kick in and she wouldn't be as much of a klutz, but actually graceful and smooth like the other two.

"Thanks Naru, but I just think any time she's here, I'm just in for punishment."

"Tsukino, no talking! Do another round on the track!"

Usagi set in to do just that, and praised the fact that she did a lot of running, otherwise injury just from over-use might have occurred.

* * *

Later that day, Usagi was just exhausted, between the combined effort of senshi battle not too long ago, a few restless nights between nightmares and not sleeping and then gym already this week. She showed up to Motoki's new place, the moving van was already outside, apparently they'd at least gotten the stuff moved out of his place and it was just a matter of moving it in and unpacking. She stretched and let the yawn fly across her face before she knocked on the door, and tried to appear bright and awake, when all she really wanted to do was crawl into Mamoru's bed- the most comfortable thing in the world- and sleep, not even in his arms, that's how much she loved his bed, scratch that, she'd always choose his arms over a bed. Though that mattress did sound soft and comfortable and well-resting, even when not sleeping...

The door opened and a surprising face was there to greet her. "You!" She squawked, looking past his shoulder to see if Motoki was in hearing distance.

Mamoru chuckled and pulled her inside. "He's gone to get coffee." Mamoru explained as he shut the door and pulled her up against him. "I forgot to tell you he roped me into this from the minute I woke up this morning until I go home and crash."

"I was wondering why I didn't have someone to careen into this morning, I was a little saddened by the three day separation." She hugged him, laying her head against his chest and he held her against him, both happy to see one another again, even if it had only been three days. She titled her head up and he gave her a greeting kiss.

"What are you doing here, Usako?"

"My mother reminded me this morning as I was sprinting out the door that I had promised Motoki to help him out, it was even in the calendar in our kitchen and he called her. People know me too well. I guess he really wanted to make sure I came." She giggled, thinking while it was true... they also didn't know she was keeping a big secret from all of them, Motoki more than most.

Mamoru grinned. "Well I'm glad that you've gotten roped into this too."

"Me too." Usagi stood up on her tiptoes, but her nose was just level with his neck when she did so and she frowned, annoyed that she just never quite reached.

Mamoru chuckled. "I don't mind leaning down, I like your height Usako." He felt like he was her protector in every sense, it didn't matter that she wasn't model tall, it made him feel like she was more vulnerable, but it also made him feel more needed. When she could clearly take care of herself, and would only become more independent as she came into herself more and more. Just as he was bending over to kiss her, they heard keys jingling and sliding into the lock. They split apart and Usagi slammed her hands onto her hips and leaned towards him, her annoyance clearly irritating off of her, but the reason, was easy to misjudge. Motoki let himself in with a box in one arm and a coffee tray in the other.

"Ah, Usa-chan, you're here!" He greeted with a grin, happiness clear on his face that Usagi was an unexpected surprise. He set the box down on the table before he walked over to the two of them. He handed Mamoru a coffee and took in her appearance, when he was going to go to her and hug her. "What did you do to her?" Motoki turned his blue eyed glared onto Mamoru. "I told you, you have to get along with her today." He turned to Usagi. "What'd he say to you?"

Usagi hesitated, she didn't have it planned what she would say in return and she glared at Mamoru for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts and let the 'anger' speak for her, for a moment. "He told me I was a short pipsqueak that needed to lose weight if I was never going to grow." She winced internally at the comment and Mamoru raised an eyebrow.

"I've never told a girl she was fat, it's just not something you say to them, ever!" He argued back, completely ignoring Motoki's flabbergasted face.

"Anyways, the two of you, shake hands and agree on a temporary peace, or I'll kick the both of you out of the arcade for a week!"

The two grudgingly shook hands, though Usagi's eyes glittered up at Mamoru, it was a laughing glitter, and he responded in kind. The two had a secret they were hiding from Motoki, and they were entertained by it.

"I guess I can handle that." Mamoru admitted for Motoki's sake and he winked at her, without Motoki's notice.

"I hope it's not too much of a stretch for you to be nice to me. It's in my blood to be nice to everyone, except those who give me a hard time." Usagi's lips quivered because they wanted to tilt up into a smile, a mocking one might be fit here, but she didn't want to push it.

"Odango brains, you wound me with your lack of confidence."

Her nose crinkled at the name. "We could start with your name calling, baka."

"Name calling?" His voice rose. "What do you think you just did?"

"Retaliated in kind to an insult!" She responded.

"ENOUGH!" Motoki yelled, and Usagi looked over at him, he looked tired, and she let go the argument to skip over to him and wrap her arms around his waist. He was frowning as he looked down at the blond haired bundle that looked more like his sister than his real one and then sighed and wrapped his own arms around her in return. "Will you two please, stop fighting?"

"We'll try, we make no promises though." She whispered up to him, trying for his sake, to let him believe it to be true. If the girls knew that Motoki knew about her and Mamoru, she couldn't even guarantee his safety either. "So, what do you want help with?" Motoki explained that he'd prefer Usagi inside while Mamoru and he brought up packages to her to unload and place. She was to be the interior decorator it seemed. Mamoru was readily agreeing with the plan. "So, I get the girly job?" She teased.

Mamoru and Motoki made no excuse and they even shrugged. Usagi rolled her eyes, boys and their machismo. The three of them worked pretty well together, each of the guys heading down to get another box at a staggered interval, one staying to help her out if it was 'too heavy' for her, and Mamoru and Motoki had to both leave for awhile to carry up some of the larger objects.

It was during one of the trips down for Motoki, as Mamoru was passing him in the hallway, on his way up, which Usagi and Mamoru almost got into trouble. They were smiling, and secretly laughing the entire time together, sharing looks and grins, all without Motoki's awareness. Their hands brushed often as Mamoru would hand off the box to Usagi and turn to leave for more. This time, Mamoru took a moment's breather to hand Usagi the box. "Have you got things organized a certain way?" He wondered, glancing around, there were boxes stacked in different areas. He looked back to her and brushed a strand of golden hair out of the way as her hands were full.

Motoki came in through the doorway and Usagi dropped the box. "Ouch! Baka! Don't go dropping things on my feet! You can set it down on a table, it won't hurt it, what do you think I am? A hanging-maid?"

"What is that, Odango? Something you just made up, or something you only imagine to be real? I'm sure you've thought several people were the same thing, I know you thought I was a trashcan!"

Motoki grumbled, but they'd been pretty good the whole night, except for the occasional bickering, but overall, he couldn't fault them. So depositing another box in the room, he turned back around and went after another container.

With Motoki gone, they grinned at each other, and Mamoru stole a quick kiss before going to help Motoki some more. Usagi hid the huge yawn that broke across her features, the boys weren't tired, why should she be? She put the box Mamoru handed her with the rest of the kitchen supplies. Motoki came back in with another one and he set it down. Usagi turned to him. "I can't believe you have so much stuff from one place to the next, did you leave anything for your parents?"

Motoki chuckled. "Yeah, but really, this is almost the end of it, it just looks like more because it's not in the cabinets yet. All we'll have left is unpacking it all, and a lot of that, I can do myself."

Usagi nodded and let him disappear back down the hallway to the elevator. She yawned again and this time her eyes watered a little.

She rubbed at them just in time, Mamoru came back in and smiled at her as he set a box down, then he was out the door again. This continued for awhile, little moments like the hair pushing, the hand brushing or stolen kisses between trips and it was almost midnight when the boys started noticing her lacking energy. She was sitting down going through a box to unpack and by the time both boys had made two trips each, they shared a look, she hadn't gotten further than their first trip up. "Why don't you head home, Usa-chan? I've got a handle on this. It's all personal stuff for the most part and personal preference of where they go."

Usagi was about to protest but she saw Mamoru behind Motoki making a gesture with his head, telling her to get out of there, and she sighed sadly. "Sorry Toki-chan, that I wasn't more help."

"You were a great help, you've taken a lot of time off of my hands. I'll be done in a day or so." Motoki hugged her then shooed her out the door.

Usagi went down the stairs, taking her time and then went out onto the street.

Mamoru made excuses a few minutes after Usagi left, maybe he could catch up to her on her walk home or call her on route and get her to head over to his instead, if it was ok. Motoki said goodnight to him to. Motoki was tired himself. So Mamoru took the elevator down and headed down the street, pulling out his cellphone, Usagi was referenced under _Odango_ in his phone, their silly names for each other carrying over into this relationship as well. He'd at least call her to slow down and wait up for him, he wanted to walk her home at least and see her to safety. As he passed an alley way, a figure jumped out at him and pulled him in. He was slammed against the wall and there were hands hanging off of his neck.

He looked down at the girl in front of him and he grinned, she'd waited for him. He hauled her up against him and kissed her deeply. She returned it as happily as one could be. "You should have gone home, a place is never as safe as it seems."

"And a little blond girl is never as safe as she seems either." Usagi teased him, her own actions confirming her words and he laughed, pulling her in for another kiss. He pulled away and looked down at her, she really was a lot stronger than her height and weight would lend someone to believe, and for that, he was relieved, if anyone did try to mess with her, she'd at least have some form of defense. "You're place or mine?" He asked eventually, seeing her start drooping again, it was a wonder she managed to stay awake while waiting for him.

"Yours." The sly glance she sent him, should have warned him, but he was too content to have her in his arms for another night that he missed it.

On their walk back to Mamoru's place, they talked about their mutual blond friend. "Think he's trying to set us up? It was only the two of us that he made come to help him."

"I wouldn't put it past him, he'll be disappointed when he finds out that he can't say he was behind us hooking up. Or he doesn't have any other friends."

Usagi shook her head. "I highly doubt that, but maybe we're the most gullible of them, or at the least most dependable."

Mamoru nodded. "At least that requirement is done. He'll be done unpacking by the end of the week at the latest and he won't need us. He'll have to find some other way of forcing us to be near one another and try to get along."

Usagi laughed and linked her arm through Mamoru's. "Oh when he finds out!" Mamoru imagined the same thing she did, or at least something similar and both of them shared in on the humor.

As Usagi slipped into the pajamas she had stashed at Mamoru's place and brushed her teeth and got ready for bed, she looked into the mirror and noticed slight dark circles underneath her eyes and she prayed for a good night's sleep without nightmares. First off, he didn't need to know about how bad they'd gotten and secondly, she just needed a good night of rest. Tomorrow was Wednesday and it was another gym filled day and who knew when the next youma attack would be? For all she knew, tonight would be the lucky roulette spin.

As they lay in bed, wrapped up in each other's arms, They both looked up at the ceiling as they talked but when he looked down at her, he changed the subject slightly. "What are you doing this weekend?"

"I have to go check out this wedding dress competition." She tried to make it sound as casual as possible, because most guys got uncomfortable whenever marriage and weddings were mentioned, unless they were going to attend on and try to score with bridesmaids or other single females and have a free bar. "There might be an attack." She explained and only when she moved away from the actual event, did she look at him, and he looked concerned.

"Should I come with you?"

"I think you'd be out of place, Mamo-chan, as far as I know, its female only." Usagi explained, to try and get him to understand it wasn't that she didn't want him around, and she shouldn't have worried about it, they both knew that sometimes there were things that the other couldn't attend with them.

Mamoru groaned and turned towards her, pulling her up to eye level and against him. "I hate that there's no events or occasions that we don't have to fear of an attack anymore. Even just going out on a date, it seems that there's always a fated attack whenever we do find time to do things with each other. Only our obligations seem somewhat free."

"Speaking of obligations." Usagi winced, as his words reminded her. "My mother wants to meet you sometime soon." They both had no reference on how these things were done, Mamoru didn't have anyone to introduce her to as his girlfriend, and those that he could if it came to that, already knew her and he couldn't tell, and she'd never had a boyfriend before. Everything they did, they were doing from movie references, vague friend commentary and just doing what felt right or supposed to from their own backgrounds.

Mamoru kissed her nose. "That sounds good. Your father joining too?"

Usagi cracked up. "Eh… _no._ Not if you want to walk away from that meeting's first second at all. My mother has to approve of you first, and then she can work on my father, about a possibility in the future, and then work on him about an actual event, before you get anywhere near him, and she'll be there to mediate if you ever get that far in his esteem. Then… it's got to be really formal. My father's very protective."

Mamoru looked down at Usagi with an analytical look. She looked back at him curious and confused. "I think he has good reason to be protective of you."

"Ha-ha." She pouted. "I'm not that much of a flake."

"I didn't mean it like that, but I'm sure there's a lot of guys who would love to take advantage of you, you're just too gorgeous to pass up."

Usagi looked at him with her own calculating look. "But you did."

"Never that. I just didn't want to break down and accept someone in my life. I didn't really have a choice though, you'd managed to snuggle into it the moment I met you, so it was really just a futile battle." Usagi rested her head against his chest, content with the answer. Mamoru's own head lay against the pillows. "So… a date out of the question this weekend?"

"Probably, but I'm free on Thursday."

"Don't you have a senshi meeting usually on those days, a recap or any new thoughts on the enemy that might have popped up since the latest battle or the last meeting?"

"It's cancelled. Rei's got something with her father and Ami's got a special cram school class. For a change, I'm the only one without complications to scheduling."

"Dinner then?"

"Sounds wonderful." She was getting quieter and Mamoru stopped bothering her, and wanted to let her sleep though he wasn't as tired.

Though both soon fell deeply asleep.

Mamoru was rudely woken up with a sharp jab into his ribs, it was probably from her elbow and he was going to shift her, getting kicked or an arm slapped into his face was not a new occurrence, any given night, if she shifted positions, he'd get a limb connecting with him. He didn't know if he snored, because she never commented on it, or anything that might bother her own sleep, so he didn't mention this. The worse was when her hair wrapped around his neck somehow while they both slept, or it got into his face and he started breathing gold instead of air. However just as his hands settled on her waist, she started thrashing and then a scream woke him completely.

His eyes popped open and he rolled over her, to restrain her, from hurting either one of them and held her still and tried to gently wake her up, so as not to scare her more.

Her eyes snapped open as well and he saw such fear in them that he didn't even need to touch the link to get his own clenching feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It wasn't her fault, she hadn't meant to do it, had done everything in her power to stop herself, to wake herself up before the dream's eyes succeeded in its intentions, she'd never failed in the process before, she always managed to avoid it, but this time, she had no control and her eyes slid down to the warm, slightly thick liquid seeping through her hands. The color against the creamy alabaster of her hands was in stark contrast and she'd never seen a more pulsing red color in her life. The color clearly that of blood, his blood.

* * *

EAN: Hehe… who's he you ask? Well… I doubt if our heroine even knows that herself. I guess we'll all just have to wait to find out… (Yes, I know it's obvious, but I haven't actually decided to go the obvious route… haha!)

EAN2: I hope I explained a little why she can no longer transform, I had stated so in UaF, however it wasn't clear on _why_ she couldn't, and I still haven't given you everything about it, but it should be fairly obvious to you as an audience, she just hasn't discovered it as a character, and can't until events fall into place. There will be a few scenes in here that I just add because I don't know where some things were said in the anime and I needed a couple more scenes. Pete btw, as someone asked, is just a random character I added as a flyaway comment to show that she has more friends than just those who go to her school and the senshi. You'll never actually meet him, I don't think, as she'll never actually interact with him in story version, just some reason not to meet Mamoru that day and if it were real life, she would be interacting with him sociably we just wouldn't see it, just as Mamoru doesn't see it. ;)

EAN3: Can I just say, that I ran across the anime version in Japanese with English subtitles and it's a lot more violent than I remember it being.... I like it!


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